Harlequins
oil on board
Signed ‘Elaine Haxton’ and dated ’55 lower right
45.5 x 35.5cm
“Elaine Haxton was one of the major figures of the Sydney Charm school
and although a great deal of official attention has been paid to the men of the
Charm School, very little is written about the women.
Her name stands as artist and friend with Russell Drysdale, Donald Friend, William
Dobell (who painted her portrait), Sali Herman, Loudon Sainthill, Margaret Preston,
Jean Bellette, Adrian Feint and sculptor Arthur Flieschmann – artists responsible
for bringing modern international perspectives to Australian art”.
“Haxton had a highly decorative approach to her work and, like most Sydney
artists of her generation, was trained first and foremost as an illustrator.
She picked the essential elements in a composition and wove them into
an enticing pattern, giving her work a two dimensional structure. It
was an approach that
led to her successful career as a stage designer, printmaker and as a painter
of some of the most charming Australian paintings of the 1940s”.
REFERENCE
Paul Coombes, Elaine Haxton: A Biography, Achievements in Paint & Print,
Communication Programs Pty Ltd, Elizabeth Bay, 1990, pages 3,5
Bernard Smith, Australian Painting 1788-1990, Oxford University Press Australia,
South Melbourne, 1991, page 227
REPRESENTED
National Gallery of AustraliaMost State Galleries
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